Through Glass
by T. Costa
Summary: A collection of VincentYuffie moments from the beginning of the game to the end of Dirge of Cerberus, from Vincent's point of view. Rated for swearing.


**Through Glass**

_I'm looking at you through the glass  
Don't know how much time has passed  
Oh, God, it feels like forever  
But no one ever tells you that forever feels like home  
Sitting all alone inside your head..._

_How do you feel? That is the question  
But I forget, you don't expect an easy answer  
When something like a soul becomes initialized  
And folded up like paper dolls, and little notes  
You can't expect a bit of hope_

_So while you're outside, looking in, describing what you see  
Remember what you're staring at is me_

-- Stone Sour,_ Through Glass_

I am used to noises outside my coffin. These basements are infested with monsters, and have been since long before Hojo decided to use it as the base for his Jenova Project.

These, however, are human noises, enough to wake me from my sleep to listen. I have not heard human voices in...many years, and they call out to me like a beacon, reminding me that I am not yet insane.

"Ew. This place gives me the creeps." A female voice says. "Come on, Cloud, we already have the materia. Who knows what could be behind the door?"

"Yuffie might be right." Another female voice said. She sounded worried. "We're following clues from Hojo, Cloud. He's deranged. There might be another monster back there."

I let a snort out. Whoever was speaking had the right idea.

"But Tifa..." Cloud, I assumed, was speaking now. "If there's someone in there...shouldn't we rescue them? Hojo did many cruel things, and I don't put locking someone up past him."

The door opened, and I listened intently. Would they even bother to undo the latch on my casket, or...?

A shard of light. Acting on pure instinct alone – for I had some very odd ones now – I jumped out and regarded those who had awoken me.

A man – I assume – with spiked blond hair regarded me back with somber blue eyes. After exchanging greetings (my voice sounded rusted, even to myself), and learning of their quest, I was devastated.

"Your story has placed even more burdens on my shoulders. I cannot speak of them." I said, shaking my head.

The young girl placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, good. It was probably depressing anyway." She said, rolling her eyes. If I were to go by the voices from earlier, her name was Yuffie.

I quirked my eyebrow at her; she had no idea how right she was. She looked back at me, defiant and only a little curious.

At first, I made the decision to stay behind. It was the obvious choice; who would want a monster like me in their presence? But it occurred to me that they would be encountering Hojo...and the worst that Shinra could throw at them. I would like to have my part in slaughtering the madman, I'll admit, I'm that much of an animal. But they could use my protection, from the skills of years in the Turks.

_She_ could use my protection. The cocky little Wutain girl. In fact, she'd _need_ it. I followed Cloud up the stairs of the mansion shaking my head. From murderer to protector, it seemed – an almost ironic change of events.

Even odder that I would help save the planet, but then again, things rarely work out the way they should.

**- - - - - **

When a group travels together for a year, they get to know each other fairly well. Well, at least _I _knew _them_ fairly well. I can't say the same for them – I pretty much keep to myself.

Every night Cid started a fire, up until we acquired the Highwind, when we were all given rooms. I shared with Red XIII, who was also content to keep to himself. The girls both got their own rooms.

I can only say both because Aeris, the third female in our group, was murdered. Even someone as cold as...well, me, could be affected by something like that. It was an ignominious way to go, and I found myself swearing to her grave that I would exact revenge on Lucrecia's son.

Lucrecia. I was thinking of her less and less lately. My thoughts were becoming occupied with these new people – AVALANCHE. In particular, Yuffie Kisaragi, the annoying ninja girl who pestered me to no end with questions – any kind of questions – to keep her mind off of her airsickness. I suppose it was only natural that my thoughts would be occupied with her, as she was attempting to talk to me at least half of the day, when we weren't out hunting.

"Hey, Vince, where'd you get that neat-o claw?"

"Hey, Vinnie, you know that pointed metal shoes are totally out this season, right?"

"Hey, Vincent, did anyone ever tell you that you look _just_ like Count Dracula? Are you going to suck our blood?"

My answer would invariably be a frustrated sigh. One could only take questions like this for so long before it got annoying.

I suppose it had to do with my liking for solitude. More often than not I found myself on the back deck of the Highwind, enjoying the sound of the wind rushing by, and just as often, the sounds of Yuffie retching. These were somewhat easy to tune out, as long as I stayed firmly downwind.

It turned out that the clear fizzy soft drinks from the mess hall tended to settle her stomach, and in an effort to maintain a semblance of peace on the back deck, I took to bringing her one of the sodas every time I wanted to visit. It became a habit, almost ingrained, to the point where some days I would show up with a fizzy drink in hand and be startled if she wasn't there.

At which point I would scowl at myself and toss the cup overboard.

Cloud tended to send us on missions together, in part because Yuffie was, when she was not busy trying to keep her food down, very quiet around me. I suppose it had to do with my appearance; after all, I am quite tall where she's very short, and I am foreboding, for lack of a better word. The other reason Cloud sent us away together is because he noticed that I brought her sodas, and seemed to think that we had a fondness for each other.

I can't say I was fond of the ninja, but her presence did brighten many an evening. She had an unshakable spirit, and was an eternal optimist. I often found myself envying her.

So it was only, in Cloud's mind, natural that we would go to help Reeve evacuate Midgar while they fought the latest incarnation of Sephiroth. Yuffie, who had been trained to take over for her father in Wutai, was a natural organizer, and I remain convinced that it is because of her abilities and eidetic memory that no one perished that night. We missed the Highwind's final flight (Yuffie later pronounced it Cloud's best-ever judgment; she really did hate that thing) and just barely made it out of Midgar in time to avoid Holy.

Yuffie saved my life that day. Odd, that a sixteen year old girl should save the life of a 50 year old man without a blink of an eye. She did, however. I was caught unawares by a flare from Meteor and just as the platform I was standing on, where we had so recently slew Hojo, was about to collapse, there she came, speeding along on one of the Shinra-issue hoverbikes, airsickness and all.

"Vincent!" She called out. I launched myself at the bike in desperation, gratified to catch it. Yuffie made a gagging noise from her place in front of me; her airsickness was doing double-time that evening. I held onto the handles of the bike, both to steady myself and provide protection for the ninja should she lose her grip.

"I told you not to go running around up there." She gasped out. "You could have been killed. Idiot." She made a small urking noise at the back of her throat and hastily covered her mouth.

Thankful that I had the controls of the bike, I carefully guided it downward and away from Midgar, slipping Yuffie's feet off of the gearshift pedal while she succumbed to her motion sickness.

We had a front-row seat for the Lifestream's upsurgence to devour Meteor; I landed about three miles away from the city and carefully brought Yuffie down from the bike; she was weak from vomiting. I held her up so she could watch; she'd earned the right just as much as anyone else from the group.

A bright flash, and Yuffie gasped, clinging to my arm almost painfully. "Aeris..." She whispered.

Even I was caught unawares; I could feel it too. The kind presence of the Ancient girl who had given her life for this planet. She was there, even in the end.

**- - - - - **

The ending celebration was loud and long-going. I was forced to go.

Yuffie tugged at my claw, ignoring the chill from it. "Come on, Vince, you've gotta! You helped just as much as anyone else!"

"I don't like parties." I pointed out.

"You're gonna have fun if it kills you." She said, smirking at me.

I sighed.

The party took place in Rocket Town, where Cid had made the Highwind's final landing. We had followed behind on Cloud's gold chocobo, which seemed to sicken Yuffie less than any other method of transportation.

The pub was full of people; not just AVALANCHE. The world was also rejoicing that it was safe.

I reluctantly accepted the glass of bourbon Yuffie shoved into my hand (The bartender was, apparently, not being picky about identification tonight) and watched as she bounded off to find someone to dance with.

The music from the jukebox alternated between formal music, folk music, rock and roll, and hip-hop dance music. Yuffie snagged one of Cid's mechanics and they began a bump and grind to one of the popular rap songs.

I raised my eyebrow; Yuffie looked older than she was and her scanty clothing left nothing to the imagination. I hoped someone would keep an eye out for her, lest she do something she regretted in the morning.

With a sigh, I realized that that person would be me. No one else would think of it right now. Not that I could blame them.

With an abrupt stop, the song switched to an almost formal dance tone. Couples lined up on the floor and began the structured waltzes of ballroom dancing.

"Hey, Vinnie, dance with me!" A voice said to my left. I turned; it was Yuffie.

"I don't dance." I replied, flatly.

"Yeah, right." She took my half-finished drink and set it on a table. "Come on, I told you, you're gonna have fun!"

On the way out to the edge of the dance floor, I pondered simply crossing my arms and refusing to participate. Then I imagined the pissed-off look that would cross the ninja's face and thought twice about it.

"If anyone here knows how to waltz, it's you, Vincent Valentine." Yuffie said, smiling up at me. "Look, even Cid's dancing to this. Chicken." She poked me in the side and then stood facing me, expectantly.

I sighed – this seemed to happen a lot when I was around her – and obligingly took her hands.

I did, indeed, know how to dance. It was a crucial part of sword training in the Shinra Turks program, and one never knew when it would come in handy undercover. I spun her around expertly, letting my training take over so I wouldn't have to actually think about it.

In the end, I did as the dance dictated and drew her close, bending her backward and then standing and letting her go with a bow.

"See, Vince! That wasn't that bad!" She smiled. "Having fun isn't evil or anything."

I am sure she was confused when I simply stared at her for a moment, and then left the building.

Because, you see, it was there, on that dance floor, with her head cocked up at me and a smile alighting her face, that I realized that I had fallen in love with her.

**- - - - - **

She found me later that night, at the inn. I was going over my inventory, preparing to strike out first thing in the morning.

She was only a little drunk.

"You're not planning on going back to that dusty old coffin in Nibelheim, are you?" She demanded, planting her hands on her hips.

"No." I said it shortly, hoping she would get the point and leave. If she begged me to do something, anything, I would give in. I couldn't take that right now.

"Good!" She flopped backwards onto one of the room's beds. "I'd have to find you and kick your vampiric ass if you did. You know, Wutai isn't so far from Nibelheim. I just might pop in and check every now and then. If I find you in that coffin, mouldering away, well, there'll be hell to pay."

I smiled, just a little bit. "Do not worry about me, Yuffie. I will be fine." Her outward concern for everyone was something she seemed to have picked up from Aeris and Tifa. Before Aeris' death she never showed concern for anyone in the group other than herself. Then again, maybe she was trying to compensate for the loss of the Ancient.

I turned toward her and found that she had fallen asleep, or more likely passed out from alcohol. I sighed and picked her up carefully, and set her higher up on the small bed. I even tucked her in. Love has always made me do strange things.

I finished my packing and set my bag on the table, ready for morning, before shucking my shoes and laying down in the other bed. For the first time in months, since we'd been camping, it was her soft snoring that put me to sleep that night.

The next morning, I left her a note and a materia – a good parting present for a materia thief – and left. I hoped she wouldn't be too mad at me for leaving without saying goodbye.

**- - - - - **

I have never been able to tell myself, with good conscience, that I was a good friend. I never really have been. So when I finally did get a phone, and Yuffie called asking about Cloud...I was very abrupt and dismissive with her.

I was even more short when I left a message for Cloud. "This is my phone; she has no right to call it." I said, before clicking the "End" button.

It had just been a shock, is all. Two years without hearing her voice and then a sudden mysterious call, asking about Cloud.

Not even a "Hey, Vince, how are you?" She just launched right into questions about Cloud. I was a little short with her.

The love hadn't died, not in those two years. How could it? It had taken me 23 years to fall out of love with Lucrecia; I doubt that two years away from Yuffie would do the trick.

I think it was just that, hearing her voice, I was again reminded that I would never hold her. After all, I was 52 years old and she 18, and it was not only inappropriate, but, well...I am the master of unrequited love, after all.

It seemed that I would always find women who were not in love with me to love. I sighed and shrugged my cloak into place.

I was heading to Midgar, where this final battle between Sephiroth's remnants would take place. I had seen Cloud at the City of the Ancients; in the past two years I had avoided the majority of AVALANCHE, but I'd made it my business to know what Shinra was up to. For the company had not died, although they seemed to be up to much less evil business nowadays. Because of my inconspicuous followings of the company, I knew what was causing the Geostigma, and I had also managed to separate two Turks from certain death. I suppose it was a last bit of sentimentality in me, that I would rescue a fellow Turk.

It was almost a shock to see Yuffie then, as she parachuted out of the sky. "Alright, who's been touching my materia?" She demanded. I almost laughed.

After it was all over, she confronted me. I say confronted because while her demeanor was normal and welcoming, she literally cornered me as I tried to make my way away from the group.

"Two years, Vince!" She exclaimed. "It's great to see you again." Her voice and narrowed eyes, however, quite clearly said "Two years, Vincent, and no one's seen you." Her tone was accusatory.

"Hello, Yuffie." I said, keeping my tone steady. There was still animal in me; whenever she glanced away while she was animatedly talking about her life in Wutai, I took in her body; her face, her hair, her form. She was beautiful.

"So anyway, I've been doing some work for Reeve out of Wutai. You should stop by sometime; the Festival of Flowers is soon. Don't wanna miss that!" She was saying. I nodded absently, before I stopped, realizing what had just happened.

"So you'll come? Awesome!" Yuffie pumped her fist. "You can stay in my guest room."

"That would not be appropriate." I pointed out. She snorted.

"Like I can't decide who stays in my guest room. Come on, Vinnie, you're smarter than that. I'm 18 now! I can make decisions like this." She rolled her eyes expressively.

I sighed.

**- - - - - **

There was, of course, another party. This time, it took place at Final Heaven, Tifa's bar. And this time, it was Tifa who pulled me in.

"Come on, Vincent." She said, smiling. "Looking so dour all of the time isn't healthy for you." I found myself hoping that she would get Cloud to admit his love for her, and that they would reproduce – Tifa had a lot of mothering instinct in her, and any children they would have would benefit from having her as their matriarch.

I cannot say that I actively participated in the celebrations, but I allowed myself to be photographed (again), and I drank one of Marlene's martini's.

"Marlene's only like, seven or eight." Yuffie said, shocked as the girl brought them drinks on a tray.

"And she makes a damn fine martini." Tifa said, chuckling. "I can't count the times she's helped out around here; she honestly wants to. Plus, it's a way for her to show off to Denzel." Her eyes were twinkling. "She's got talent, though, and she's started helping me in the kitchen. Maybe I'll give her the bar if I ever retire."

"Shouldn't you give it to one of your own children?" Yuffie asked. The three of us were sitting in a booth, away from the center of activity; I, because I enjoyed solitude, Yuffie because she wanted to keep me from slipping away, and Tifa because she sought something resembling quiet after the ordeal she had just gone through.

Tifa sighed and looked over at Cloud, who was currently matching Cid round for round at the bar, which Barret was tending. "If only." She said, softly.

"You've obviously gotta make the first move there." Yuffie said, poking Tifa in the shoulder and then shooting back a shot of tequila. "Spikey isn't gonna do anything that could even remotely be considered proactive."

Tifa sighed and then looked at me and smiled, a sort of "Well, that's life!" sort of look.

"I am inclined to agree with Yuffie." I said. Both of the women looked at me in stunned amazement and I took a sip of the martini to cover my embarrassment; Tifa was right, Marlene did make a good one.

Yuffie exclaimed then, as a song she enjoyed had come on. "I'm gonna go dance. Tifa, don't let Vincent escape." She smiled and dashed off.

"Why the sudden interest in people other than yourself, Vincent?" Tifa asked. She was drinking water.

I glanced out toward the dance floor; I could just make out Yuffie, dancing alone, hands above her head, swaying to the music. I smirked slightly.

"I cannot wish for my friends to look back on their past, as I do, and regret missed opportunities." I said, turning back toward Tifa. "I can only hope that they can have happiness where I have not."

Tifa's face broke into a slow smile and she took a sip of her water. "Wow, Vincent. You think of us as friends?"

I blinked. "Why would I not?"

Tifa shrugged. "I don't know...you're just always so cold. I can't even tell when you're happy or sad. You don't show it. People usually let their defenses down around friends."

I lowered my gaze toward the wood-grain table. "Every human being has their shortcomings. That is one of mine."

"Well, Vincent, just remember that if _you_ care about _us_, then we _definitely_ care about you." Tifa leaned over and put her hand over mine, startling me. "And if I can take your advice, I think you ought to, as well." She smiled knowingly and glanced out toward Yuffie again. "I hope she'll forgive me, but I've got some missed opportunities to make up for." She stood then.

I watched as she crossed the room and went to Cloud's side. I couldn't make out what she was saying, but I saw a startled, yet pleased, look cross Cloud's face, and he stood. She led him to the dance floor.

I smiled, a real smile. If something good came out of all of this, let it be that.

"Whew!" A loud explosion of air came from my left. I turned and saw Yuffie striding toward me. "These people can dance!" She flopped into the seat so recently occupied by Tifa. "Where'd Teef go?"

I smirked, an outright pleased one, as I pointed toward where Tifa and Cloud were slow-dancing.

"Finally!" Yuffie said, pumping her fist. She grinned back at me. "Looks like that did the trick, Vinny. If _you_ care about something, then it's _gotta_ be important!" She took Tifa's half-finished water and drank about half of what remained down. "Whew!"

I watched as she plowed down a good portion of Tifa's alcohol stock that night, and then carefully escorted her to an unoccupied room above Tifa's bar. She passed out about halfway there; sighing, I hefted her over my shoulder and forced my way into the room.

I tucked her in; remembering the last time I had done so, I carefully nudged her hair out of her face. Last time, I hadn't seen her for two years. I wondered if this time, I would ever see her again.

"Until next time, Yuffie." I whispered.

**- - - - - **

That I might never see or hear from her again was a needless worry. In actuality, I should have been more worried about whether she would ever leave me alone.

It seemed every few days she was calling me; I usually answered, even if I had been asleep. Anyone else, I would let the phone ring, or send it straight to voice mail. Yuffie, however...I'd interrupt sleep to hear her voice.

"Hey, Vinnie! Next week's the Festival of Flowers!" She said, during one such call. It was past two in the morning and I was asleep in a tent in the middle of nowhere, but I still answered.

"Huh?" I said.

"You asleep?" She asked. "Wow, you must be in like, Gongaga or something. It's midday here in Wutai!"

"I'm just south of there." I muttered. Sitting, I rubbed sleep out of my eyes.

"Why didn't you just let it go to voice mail?" She asked. "You do it for Cid all the time!" She chuckled. "I know, it's cuz I'm so hot! Hah hah. Anyway, the Festival of Flowers is next week and you prommmmised you'd come. Actually, I kinda need your help, heavy lifting stuff, I'm awesome and all but I can't lift twice my body weight. And you sure can!" She chuckled, and I found myself wondering how the hell she was so chipper all the damn time. It was almost...but not quite, because it was Yuffie...annoying.

"Anyway, you'll need to cross the ocean, obviously. How abouts I come out in Akai, my gold chocobo, and we rendezvous somewhere? Say, in six hours, so you can get the rest of your sleep?"

I made something resembling an affirmative noise. At this point, I really didn't care.

"Good, good. Let's see...how about...um, south of Gongaga, right?"

"Fine." I said, sleepily. I was having a much harder time waking up than normal – possibly because I'd been so deeply asleep. It had been a very long day.

"Alright! I'll call you in five hours, to make sure you're awake." I could tell she was grinning; over what, I couldn't discern. "Go back to sleep!"

I mumbled something, probably goodbye, and collapsed back toward my sleeping bag.

Love could overlook a lot of things, but lack of sleep was just not one of them.

**- - - - - **

_Ring. Ring._

I blinked. The sun was shining down on my tent and it was undeniably hot. I sat up, and looked down; my phone was ringing.

Belatedly, I recalled that Yuffie was supposed to meet me to take me to some sort of festival. I picked up the phone and stumbled out of the tent in just my pants and socks. It was entirely too warm in that tent for me; I was used to the chilliness of mountain Nibelheim.

"Hello?" I said.

"Vincent! What took so long? I've been calling you for like, forty five minutes! Akai's nearly to Gongaga now. Where are you?" Yuffie was shouting into the phone, and I know she was relieved that I'd actually answered it. I gingerly held it away from my head.

"I was sleeping." I pointed out, patiently. "I'm awake now."

"Well, that's good. Put some tea on or something. I'll be there in a few minutes; my GPS will lock onto your phone signal if you'll keep from hanging up for a few minutes."

As if I'd ever hang up on her.

"Fine." I said. "I'm going to set it down now."

"Sure thing!" Yuffie was really too cheerful, although that is one of the things I've always loved about her.

I yawned as I set my phone on a nearby rock. I have never been a morning person and I doubt I ever will be. Waking up has always been a tedious process for me.

My morning ritual is almost always the same, whether I am in an inn, or at one of the homes of my friends in AVALANCHE, or in a tent. I wake up, make tea (I find it easier on the stomach first thing in the morning than coffee, although I will enjoy a cup of that once I've eaten). While the tea is steeping, I usually find a spot to urinate.

This accomplished, I wandered back toward my camp and I was startled to find that Yuffie was already there. She was squatting near the fire, stirring my tea with a spoon. "Yo, Vince!" She stood and crossed her arms, a grin on her face. "Nice abs."

I glanced down; not realizing how close she actually was to camp, I had not dressed yet. I narrowed my eyes at her. It was entirely too early in the morning to deal with a hyperactive ninja, no matter how besotted I was with her.

"Ah yes. I forgot how much you hate the mornings. And sunlight." Yuffie put her hands over her mouth and giggled into them.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I poured two cups of tea and gave one to her. She accepted it, smiling but keeping quiet.

I sipped my cup and blinked several times, trying very hard to wake up. Some mornings I was able to simply wake up and continue on from the day before; others, like this morning, I was sluggish and sleepy.

Even when we were out searching for Sephiroth all those years ago, Cloud didn't force us to wake up this early. The sun had just cleared the mountains maybe thirty minutes prior, and it was warming up fast.

Yuffie had finished her tea and set the cup down, and was facing away from me. She was humming happily to herself and going through her chakras. This was a ritual that she did every morning, and I was startled to see her doing them so late in her day.

It must have shown on my face. "I took a little nap before I came out to get you." She said. Her head was bent backward and touching the toe of her left foot, while she balanced on her right foot. Her back was still toward me but she was facing me due to this odd position. She crossed her eyes and made an amusing face, and then smiled. "Anyway, I didn't get a chance to go through them before I headed out, so I'm doing them now." She slowly unbent herself and then lowered her body toward the ground, coming up in a perfect rendition of the splits before slowly raising herself using her arms.

No matter how many times I had seen her do this, the process fascinated me. Her body was completely in control of itself; she knew how to move every muscle independently. This concept was foreign to someone like me, who had had their entire body and consciousness conditioned to respond to stimuli out of reflex.

I closed my eyes and inhaled, stretching slightly; the sounds of the forest and Yuffie doing her morning exercises surrounded me, and I could smell the fresh loam and leaf. That woke me up more thoroughly than the tea could ever do, and I opened my eyes much more alert than when I had closed them.

"You're like a cat." Her voice startled me, and I turned in her direction. She had finished her chakras and was leaning against a tree, watching me. "You move like a cat. Always on the alert, even when you're exhausted. It's kinda creepy."

"...Sorry?" I couldn't tell if I was apologizing or...what.

She smiled. "Anyway, let's get this show on the road; I've got an insane amount of stuff I have to do and no offense, Vince, but you're holding me up." She winked to show she was kidding and then started taking my tent down.

I watched her as she cleared my pack out of the tent and rolled my sleeping bag up. Something told me that I ought to jump in and help, but she was bent over, and the view was extraordinary.

"Hahaha, I have always wanted to do this." Suddenly she was standing, facing me, my cloak in hand. She swept it over her shoulders. "Ooooooh, I'm Vincent Valentine, I'm a big scary gunslinger." She hissed and I blinked.

"I'm pretty sure that doesn't smell very good right now." I pointed out. "I haven't washed it in a while."

Yuffie stared at me for a second and then threw her head back, laughing. The whole effect was actually kind of comedic, because my cloak doesn't look natural on a young girl.

"Man. No one's gonna believe me when I tell them I stole Vincent's cloak and got away with it." She sighed heavily and handed it to me. "Get dressed, vampy."

I did so, pausing every few seconds to watch her as she disassembled my tent. It involved a lot of bending over and stretching, and in general I just enjoyed watching her move. If I moved like a cat, she moved like a puppy; full of energy and happy.

By the time I had managed to shrug into the top half of my body suit and attach all of the assorted clips and gear I needed, she had finished packing up my belongings, and had turned toward me, arms crossed. I shrugged into my cloak and then turned to face her.

"Let's go." I said, shortly. I enjoyed being around her, that much was true, but at the same time it was torture because I couldn't touch her or even confess my feelings. It was...difficult.

"Sure thing!" Yuffie stuck her thumb and forefinger into her mouth and let loose with an ear-splitting whistle. A few moments later, a golden chocobo trotted up to her and nudged her with it's beak.

"This is Akai." Yuffie said, smiling. "Cloud gave him to me for my eighteenth birthday."

It was then that I realized that two of her birthdays had passed since Meteor, and I felt bad.

"Unfortunately, Akai won't let anyone drive but me." Yuffie said. "So you've gotta sit bitch."

I blinked. "Excuse me?" I hadn't heard of this term before.

'You know, bitch. As in, behind the driver. Come on, let's go." She handed me my pack and then climbed up onto her bird before leaning down and offering me a hand up.

I looked up into her gorgeous gray eyes and inwardly sighed. This was going to be a long ride.

**- - - - - **

I decided that I was never going to ride a chocobo with Yuffie again.

Not that she was a bad driver; in fact, she was a great driver, with none of the motion sickness taking hold over her once she was in the drivers' seat. No, I just couldn't bear having her pressed up against me ever again.

Especially when she'd look back over her shoulder at me occasionally and grin, or wink, or say something that would get lost in the tear of the wind flying past us. It was downright unbearable.

Every time my heart would start to pound a little bit. I chided myself each time for acting like a teenager with a crush.

She got me settled into her guest bedroom and then I willingly helped her set the things up that needed to be set up. That night, I had no problem falling to sleep again.

The next morning, I woke and dressed, as was my custom, and stepped into the hallway outside the guest bedroom. I was confronted by Yuffie, wearing an elegant geisha wig and the brightly colored kimono of the maiko. She beamed when I stopped, startled to see her in such clothing.

"How do I look?" She asked, putting her face into a pout and striking a model's pose.

"Beautiful, as always." I said, nodding at her as I passed. I knew she wouldn't take it for how I meant it, but I only spoke the truth.

The Festival of Flowers was colorful. I stood out among the crowd like a sore thumb; where everyone, especially Yuffie, was wearing brightly colored kimono and playing games, I stood in the corners, observing, and wearing nothing but crimson and black.

Thankfully, Yuffie had managed to convince Cloud and Tifa to bring Marlene and Denzel in for the Festival as well, so I wasn't alone. Cloud also refused to dress up, even though Marlene and Tifa, and (reluctantly) Denzel went along with it.

"I never thought Yuffie would convince you to come here." Cloud said, muchly amused, as he looked out at Tifa and Marlene, who were dancing in the square. I saw the hint of a man in love in his eyes, and I smiled to myself.

"I didn't realize I had agreed to anything until it was too late." I explained. We were at a table off to the side of the dancing square, eating and watching. "I had sort of tuned her out."

"That explains it." Cloud said. "I'm only here because Tifa agreed." He sighed and looked at his chopsticks before using them to poke at one of the sushi doubtfully.

"A man in love agrees to a lot of strange things." I said, smirking outright. Cloud glanced up at me and then laughed.

"That's true. That's very true." Having decided to trust the Wutain chefs, Cloud picked up the sushi roll and shoved it into his mouth. He made a face and followed it with a large gulp of jasmine tea. "Ugh. I hate seaweed."

I passed him a plate of _inarizushi_. "No seaweed in this one." I said, helpfully.

After a while Tifa came over and confiscated Cloud to dance, winking at me as she did so. "Sorry, Vincent, but I'm afraid Cloud has other obligations than trying to be the other Tall, Dark and Scary character."

"Understandable." I said. "I suppose I'll have to make up for the lack of a partner in crime, however, and be doubly imposing."

Tifa giggled. "That's the first time I've ever heard you make a joke, Vincent."

"Whoa, Vincent made a joke?" Yuffie appeared out of nowhere. "The world is coming to an end!" She looked out of breath and took the spot recently vacated by Cloud. "Man, this partying thing can really wear a person out!" Out of the pouch attached to her obi, she withdrew a set of chopsticks and a cup. I raised my eyebrow.

She chuckled. "Royalty, Vince. You never eat out of a public bowl. It might have been poisoned!"

"Only Cloud and myself have been here." I pointed out. "I doubt either of us would poison you."

"I agree, but it's one of those rules." She shrugged and began filling a fresh plate with _inarizushi_. "I love this stuff."

Under the guise of drinking from my cup of jasmine tea, I observed her eat. Yuffie had always been a finicky eater, and that had not changed; she was still very precise about which of the rice-filled bean curd pouches she selected, and carefully did not spill even a grain of the rice as they made their way to her mouth.

"You know, you keep watching me eat and I might get performance anxiety." Yuffie said after she swallowed. I blinked and she laughed. "I always know when someone's watching me, Vinnie."

I raised my eyebrow and made it a point to look away. She giggled.

As it always seemed to be the case, that night Yuffie had a little too much to drink. I would suspect that she was an alcoholic, except that I don't think she actually drank that often – just that when she did, it was in excess. I helped her to her house and got her situated in bed, just in time – she passed out at that point. Unfortunately, she was still clutching my gauntlet, despite it's chill, as if it were a stuffed animal. I tried to extricate it, and failed miserably.

I sighed, and sat on the bed next to her, hoping she would release her grip on my arm sometime soon.

I fell asleep like that.

**- - - - - **

When I awoke a few hours later, I had a stiff neck from sleeping upright, and Yuffie still had not relinquished my claw. Sighing, I unfastened it and let her hold the armor for the night. I tucked her in, as was my custom, and brushed a lock of hair out of her face – the geisha wig had fallen off in her living room. She was breathtaking, as always.

My arm felt naked without the metal glove, and I rubbed it self-consciously on my way to her guest bedroom. It was naked and pale, because I almost never took the gauntlet off, even to bathe.

I took the opportunity to take a shower, seeing as the cold metal would not be intruding upon me for the night.

I had lived up to my promise to Yuffie, that I would never return to the coffin beneath the Nibelheim mansion, but in giving that up, I had taken on a nomadic sort of lifestyle, and warm water was a blessing. I took my time getting thoroughly clean, and once I was done and dry, I changed into a long, black pair of pajama bottoms that was languishing at the bottom of my pack.

Hoping it would not annoy Yuffie, I threw my normal things into her washer and then stretched out on the low bed in the guest bedroom.

I dozed for a few hours and was awoken by an ear-splitting scream. I sat bolt-upright in bed and ran to Yuffie's room.

She'd stopped screaming, and was laughing when I walked in.

"What's wrong?" I said. I must have looked horrific; my hair had still been damp when I fell asleep and it was, as Yuffie later told me, squashed up against one side of my head.

Yuffie was pointing to my gauntlet and laughing. "This scared the hell out of me, Vince! Be careful where you leave this thing laying around!"

I frowned and crossed my arms, eyes narrowed with sleep. "You would not let me have it back. I figured I could leave it in your capable care until you woke up."

Yuffie snort-giggled and tossed it to the other side of her bed. "You can have it back. I've never seen you without it before." She shrugged and yawned. "I thought it was permanent."

I shook my head and stooped to pick up the armor.

It was early in the morning, but Yuffie had always been something of a morning person. She was up at that point, and she took up my spot in the recently-vacated bathroom, while I tried to straighten my hair out and put my clothing in her dryer.

I could hear her in the shower, singing some love song at the top of her lungs, slightly off-key. I stopped yanking at my hair for a few moments and simply listened to her, a small smile on my face.

I was still trying to pull the knots out of my hair when she walked in a few moments later, a large bathrobe wrapped around her and her hair up in a towel turban. "Vincent! I don't mind you taking a shower, but clean your hair out of the tub next time!" She held up a dripping-wet clump.

My eyes widened and she laughed. "It's alright, Vince! You don't have to look like someone shot you. Just be careful next time you stay here!" She tossed the mess into a garbage pail and turned, where I got a nice glimpse of her rear end through the bathrobe.

I needed to get out of there.

My clothes finished drying shortly after and I changed into my gear, curtly fastening my armor back into place. My skin seemed to buck at it, after having been free of it's grip for so many hours.

I finished fastening my gear about me and picked up my pack, heading out toward the living room. I paused and reached into my pocket in the kitchen, dropping several gil coins on Yuffie's table, for the use of her washing machine.

"Your money's no good here, Valentine." Her voice said. I jumped; I couldn't help it, she really had startled me.

There was a hint of steel in her voice and it made me feel just a little bit guilty. I begged the gods not to make her ask me to stay, because then I would. I couldn't refuse her.

She was leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed. She'd changed into a new outfit, a blue top and yellow shorts, with long boots. Her hair was pulled back, as usual, and also as usual, there was no makeup on her face. This suited her; makeup would have hidden what was an already beautiful face.

"Going so soon?" She asked, striding over and pushing the gil back toward me.

"I used your washer and dryer, and shampoo." I pointed out, ignoring her question and pushing the coins to her. "That is enough to cover it."

"Oh, come on, Vince. We're friends. I'm not going to begrudge you the use of my shit." She pushed the coins back toward me. I sighed.

"Then give it to someone who can use it. I'm not taking it back." I picked up my pack and headed toward her front door, cringing to myself at how cold I sounded.

I winced even harder when she threw them at me, and one hit me square in the back of the head.

"Fine. Just go. But I'm not gonna leave you alone, Vincent. Last time someone did that, you wound up buried in a coffin for 23 years. Real friends don't do that." I could hear her storm back into her room and I sighed.

Leaving the gil a mess on her floor, I left. And she lived true to her word; she did not leave me alone. As before the Festival, I got calls from her several times a week, and as always, I answered them, regardless of what I was doing at the time.

I purposely stayed away from Wutai in my travels. I couldn't see her again. Every time, it hurt more. I may be a glutton for punishment, but there is a limit.

**- - - - - **

The next time I actually physically saw her was about a year later.

I woke up in a vehicle of some sort, and a cloaked figure sat next to me. "Who are you?" I demanded.

I knew who she was as soon as she said "I'm glad you asked!" All of that other nonsense about the defender of the earth and sky, and the single white rose of Wutai (although I kind of agreed with that part) was not necessary; I recognized her voice and the way she moved her body, and the way she promptly crashed backward into a monitor.

"Yuffie. It's been a while." I said.

"Can't you at least _pretend_ to be concerned?" She demanded, rubbing her head ruefully. I chuckled.

"How's your head?"

She made a face at me and my heart flopped within my chest.

It turned out that she had saved me – yet again – from certain death, this time at the hands of Rosso the Crimson. It disturbed me to know that she had now saved me twice, when I had originally signed on to protect her.

I had even more of a moral crisis when the Shadowfox crashed, knocking Yuffie unconscious. I wanted more than anything to protect her; should I leave her behind, and go ahead to the WRO headquarters, where I was needed? Or should I stay and protect her?

Finally, I decided to do both, and slung her over my shoulder, holding her in place with my gauntlet while I aimed Cerberus with my good arm. For once, I was the rescuer. I decided to forgo stealth for speed, and I'm afraid I may have encountered far more beasts in the process. Every step I took was heavy, and I disturbed butterflies and grasshoppers at every turn.

Halfway there, I set Yuffie down and rested. She was not heavy, but I am not used to carrying another person in addition to my normal gear. She started to stir.

It was a beautiful sight, and I'm sure my face may have reflected that. Her eyelids fluttered and she opened them slowly. She was surrounded by butterflies, which had crept closer to her in her unconsciousness, probably due to her lilac perfume. She smiled, and if I had died at that point I think my life would have been complete.

What followed, however, was a battle of epic proportions. Deepground had certainly gone all-out for this encounter. Every time I saw Yuffie take a risk I ignored my safety, and that of those around me, and dispatched whoever she was fighting with. I couldn't bear to see her sliced in half by Rosso's blade, or crushed beneath Azul's mighty feet. It would have broken me.

However, shortly after I was a bit...distracted.

You see, Shalua's younger sister, Shelke...is quite ferocious in battle. I could not bring myself to actually harm the younger girl, and I know Shalua was thankful. But it turned out to be a wasted effort; Shalua met her fate at the hands of Azul the Cerulean.

After, Yuffie was distraught, and I cursed myself for being unable to comfort her. If I could have slaughtered myself to bring Shalua back from the dead, if only to console her, I would have. She even went so far as to strike Shelke; Yuffie is an excellent fighter, but unless the situation calls for it, she is not a violent person.

My surprise must have shown in my demeanor, for she glared at me, and then stalked off angrily.

I sighed.

I only half paid attention during Reeve's declaration that he would fight, and Shelke's offer of assistance. Yuffie's voice came through the intercom then, and she had my full attention, as usual.

"You guys better get out here!" She said. Reeve looked alarmed, but I smirked to assure him. I knew Yuffie, and she was happy.

**- - - - - **

I am still not certain of the airship Cid has commandeered. It is clearly of Ancient origin, and I cannot be sure if it is entirely safe.

One thing is certain, however; it is a marvel. Shelke, possessing an intuitive sense of how mechanics work, used it to create a holographic world to explain Lucrecia's findings about Chaos, Omega, and the end of the world.

As we were flying through the cosmos, I looked at Yuffie, who's face was alight in wonder at the beauty that was slipping past us. I admit, I stared. She was amazing to look at, and the universe was the perfect backdrop for her.

I tore my gaze away and watched the presentation, as Shelke explained, using Lucrecia's voice, what would happen at the end of days.

After the briefing, we formulated a plan of attack. We had to neutralize Deepground at it's source – Midgar. Cid, ever the pilot, decided that the air was the perfect way to strike, while Cloud, Tifa and Barret led the ground teams. Yuffie and I would be amongst the air strike.

I waited in the cargo bay with the modified boards Reeve had procured through his mysterious benefactor. Yuffie had mounted hers onto the slide and was strapping it to her ankles.

"Ready to go, guys?" Cid's voice said. The bay doors began to open.

Yuffie waved at me. "See you on the ground, Vince!" She said, smiling. She was beautiful.

When her squad had exited, the bay doors closed and my group began preparing. We had just strapped in when the bay doors flew open and an explosion rocked the Shera.

I launched myself out of the cargo bay and down to Midgar, fighting anything that came into my path, and hoping beyond hope that Yuffie had gotten out of the way in time to avoid the debris from the accident.

I landed in front of Midgar; it was an imposing facade, and I, for the first time in years, found myself growing slightly nervous at the impending battle.

Then I remembered Yuffie, waving goodbye at me, and struck off, my goal set. Deepground would kill everyone, including Yuffie. If I had my way, they wouldn't get theirs.

**- - - - - **

What seemed like a lifetime later, I was so close...so very close. I had fought my way through two Tsviets and I only had two more to go.

Unfortunately, one stood before me and Weiss, the one that actually mattered.

Nero the Sable let loose with his darkness, and I felt my throat go dry. He wasn't attacking me, because I was immune to him. No, he was attacking Yuffie, and I couldn't allow that.

She screamed and tried to protect herself, but it was a futile effort. Nero's darkness surrounded her and...she was gone.

I let loose with an animalistic roar and launched myself in after her. After what seemed like hours, I finally found her, cowering in the darkness, and I rushed toward her, feeling my arms encircle her. Only then did I close my eyes in relief; she was safe.

I leaped out of the darkness with her in my arms, curled protectively about her, and then set her down gently and regarded her. She was terrified.

My heart was beating fast. I'd almost lost her. I heard Nero behind me, talking normal Tsviet nonsense. I was so angry at him I was shaking, and I was almost afraid to tear my eyes away from Yuffie to regard him.

I did, however, and I used my anger to beat him. By the time he stumbled away, half-conscious and bleeding, Yuffie had become her normal self again, and we burst into the chamber Weiss was in together.

It only made sense that someone as warped as Hojo would have been manipulating Deepground. In the end, it was all wasted effort; Omega formed anyway.

My last clear thought from that time is seeing a malevolent green light rushing toward us. My heart in my throat, I rushed toward Yuffie and pushed her out of the way.

"_VINCENT!_" She cried out. I felt the Lifestream enter me, and all was black.

**- - - - - **

I came to shortly after, when Shelke managed to procure the protomateria and give it back to me. It was almost painful, being in control again. I could hear Yuffie leading the others in cheering me on, and I knew that in order to save her, and the others, I was going to have to fight Omega directly.

I never really thought of myself as a hero, but it seemed I was going to have to be. I looked downward and I could see Yuffie smiling and jumping, calling my name out and waving at me.

I might never see her again, but it would be worth it, to know that she would live on. With a triumphant roar, I launched myself into the sky, and then down toward Omega.

I felt an explosion rip through my body, and Omega screamed in protest as the same happened to him. I was falling now, Chaos gone, and I could hear Yuffie below me, calling out in anguish.

"Vincent..."

**- - - - - **

I have not been able to say it for a long time, but life is good.

The monsters have left my body and I am...as normal as I will ever be. Hojo's enhancements will always keep me fit, but I will age again.

At least, that's what Shelke tells me. She is doing well, too. We are two oddballs in a world of heroes, and it is only fitting that we should become friends. She met me at Lucrecia's cave and we began the journey back to Edge, where she tells me that AVALANCHE has launched a full-scale search for me.

My phone has gone missing, unsurprisingly. My first purchase when we get to civilization – north Corel – is a new one. My account lists several text messages, e-mails, and voice mails. I leave them until we are on the boat toward Junon.

There are a number of texts from Tifa and Cloud, concerned for me after the explosion, and asking for confirmation that I made it through. A heartfelt e-mail from Shelke, and another two from Barret and Cid.

And a slew of voice mails from Yuffie.

"Vincent, where are you?" My heart breaks at her voice; she is frantic. "It's been hours. Please...please be okay."

"Vincent, it's been three days. We're out searching for you...just...give us a sign that you're alright, even if you want to be alone. We'll stop looking if you'll just let us know you're alive. Okay?"

"Vincent, if you're alive, you're really making this difficult." She sounds dejected and hopeless now. "I just want to know you're alright. I suppose, though, that if it's been this long...you're not. I'll...miss you."

"Vincent..." She's been crying. I frown and nearly shut off the phone; I cannot bear to hear her sad. "I...it's been a week. I don't think you're okay, if it's been this long with no contact with us. I just...I don't like thinking about you being dead. You always...seemed so tough. You know? I loved that about you; even if the whole world went to shit, you'd still be there." A sniffle, and then her voice broke. "Vincent, please, don't be dead. I love you too much to put you aside. I can't...be normal if you're not around. I'll miss you so much...don't...don't be dead."

I set the phone down next to me. Shelke looks up at me, her head cocked.

"I should have let the others know I was okay." I said. I put my head in my hands; as I said before, I am not a good friend, and this is more proof of it. I feel as if I have been kicked in the stomach; I made Yuffie cry. "I am not used to others being...concerned for me. I am afraid I have caused them a great deal of concern."

"Especially Yuffie." Shelke said. "She searches every day, even when the others take a break." She smiled. "She must really love you."

"I think..." I shake my head. It is impossible that Yuffie should love me; I am not a person who deserves that kind of happiness, and she is not the sort of person who deserves to be cursed with a lover like me. "I think she is just...a better friend than I am."

Shelke is quiet for a long time before she speaks again. "I don't think so. Yuffie..." She purses her lips and shakes her head. "I do not know. I am not good...at interpreting emotions. I have been separated from them for some time. But she tries harder than anyone else. Everyone has said that it's unusual in her, that she has never been this desperate over anyone before. Tifa said..." Shelke frowns again. "And I do not understand this, but she says that Yuffie is more upset over you than she was over Aeris. She seemed to think that this was...a big deal."

I absorbed this factoid silently.

It was without fanfare that we disembarked a few hours later at Junon. Originally we had planned on traveling by foot to Edge, but I was desperate to get there, fast, and I rented a vehicle despite the ridiculous cost and the inflation of the gas market. I didn't care.

I had to see her.

**- - - - - **

I'm not sure what I expected. Edge looked the same, except that it was populated again. In fact, it was bustling; there were WRO squads and citizens running around, doing shopping and chasing after children, and walking their pets. Living everyday life.

It had been over a week, and life had begun all over again. A small smile crossed my face; humanity was hardheaded, that was for sure. After numerous attempts at it's life, it was still going strong.

Shelke led me to Final Heaven, although I already knew my way there. I could hear talking through the doorway.

"Yuffie, sweetheart, you're just gonna have to accept it." Tifa was saying. "Vincent died saving us all; he was a real hero. Remember him that way."

I scowled and pushed the door open resolutely. It send a resounding clatter through the room, and both of the women looked up to see me.

Yuffie had tears streaming down her face; she looked miserable, until her eyes landed on me.

"Vincent..." She whispered. "_Vincent!_" She stood up and launched herself at me, throwing her arms around my midsection.

"Oof!" The exclamation was out of my mouth before I could stop it; the force of her hitting me had brought me to the floor.

It felt...like forever had passed since I had seen her. Completely ignoring Shelke and Tifa, I put my arms around her and let her cry into my chest.

"You_ jerk_." She hiccuped out. She looked up into my eyes. "We thought you were_ dead!_"

"Sorry to disappoint." I said.

I glanced upward; Tifa was staring at us with her mouth agape. It must have been an interesting sight; cold, heartless Vincent Valentine collapsed on the floor of her bar, consoling Yuffie Kisaragi, noted hyperactive ninja slash thief.

She blinked quickly and turned away; I got the feeling she was blinking back tears. She ran upstairs.

Shelke followed her, shooting me a look that was not easy to decipher.

Yuffie had buried her face into my chest again, and I let my hand settle on her head and made vaguely soothing noises.

"If you had been...if you hadn't come..." Yuffie's voice was muffled. "I just...I couldn't have..."

"I'm okay." I said. "Calm down."

Tifa, Cloud, and Cid walked downstairs, with Shelke in tow, at that point. Cid was outright gaping at me; in Tifa's absence I had begun cradling Yuffie almost protectively, and I suppose it showed. Or maybe they were just surprised to see me.

"Vincent." Cloud's voice said. He, of all of them, seemed the least surprised that I had made it. He nodded at me. "Good to see you."

I nodded back, and then hesitantly shifted. As wonderful as it was to be holding Yuffie, she was cutting off the circulation in my legs, and the looks of Cid and Tifa were starting to make me uncomfortable.

She got the point and separated from me, still sitting on the floor crying as I stood. I offered her a hand up.

At this point there was a sharp knock on the door and the rest of AVALANCHE poured in – apparently Tifa had called them when she went upstairs.

And, of course, there was a party. This was one I couldn't escape, because it was in my honor.

I apologized to the others, for leaving them hanging like that; it honestly hadn't occurred to me that they would be worried. I can, after all, handle myself.

The fact that I, myself, had thought I would not make it through wasn't something I would mention.

For the first time in my association with AVALANCHE, I got drunk.

To give me the benefit of the doubt, however, I can't say this is my fault. Everyone was pressing drinks on me and out of politeness, I was bound to accept them. I witnessed Cloud and Tifa dancing again, and a kiss – not their first, but nonetheless, it made a warm feeling spread throughout my body. They wouldn't be mourning lost opportunities.

I saw Cid dancing wildly with Shera, as well, and the announcement that she was pregnant with their first child. That, again, made happiness fill me. Life was good.

Nanaki – for I was the only one who ever called him by his proper name – even partook of the dancing, jumping wildly in the center of the dance floor. That such a celebration was called on my account made a slight flush raise to my cheeks, although I'm fairly certain that was also partially the alcohol. I was pretty far gone at that point.

In the midst of it, I felt that I needed to get out; the alcohol was making me feel as if I were suffocating, and I quietly slipped out the door during a wild dance number.

It was quiet outside; occasionally the muffled beat of music from in Tifa's bar would intrude upon the silence, but otherwise it was peaceful. I leaned against an adjacent building and looked up into the moonlight.

Life was good. It was a mantra, repeating through my head at random intervals, almost like a chant but without the rhythm. I sighed, contentedly.

"You're missing your own party." A voice said, quietly, to my right. I turned.

There stood Yuffie. She seemed to have recovered from the shock of seeing me. And in a change of pace, I was the drunk one, not her. She looked stone-cold sober.

"I am glad everyone is happy to see me." I said, carefully choosing my words. "But I needed to get away for a few minutes."

"I'll say." Yuffie chuckled and leaned next to me, crossing her arms. "You're pretty wasted. The only reason I can tell is because you're enunciating so clearly."

"It's a bit of a switch." I admitted.

She laughed outright. There was silence for a period of time, as we both stared up into the night sky.

"I was really upset, Vincent." She said it softly, and I almost missed the words. I turned and looked; her head was facing the ground, and she looked almost depressed. "I thought I'd never see you again."

I closed my eyes, painfully. I could clearly recall the sad tone in her voice on my phone; how upset and depressed she'd been, how she'd been crying. I had made her cry.

"I am sorry, Yuffie. I didn't realize...that everyone cared so much. I didn't..." I trailed off. Turning my head and frowning, I cursed myself. I was so awkward with things like this. It was the reason I'd lost Lucrecia in the first place.

"Didn't realize I loved you?" Her words were just as quiet as before, but they stunned me into silence. Hearing it over voice mail, in a time of desperation, and hearing it from Shelke, hadn't prepared me for hearing it fall from her lips. I truly didn't expect to ever have love from someone else, especially not someone as pure and beautiful as Yuffie.

She smiled, a sad smile, at the stunned look on my face. It was then that I realized that she'd loved me for a long time, probably as long, if not longer, as I had loved her, and she'd held it in all those years. Why?

"It's alright, Vince. You don't have to say anything. Just...it hurt. It hurt so badly when I thought you were dead. I just...I had to tell you..." She dissolved into tears, sliding down the wall she was leaning against and shoving her fists into her eyes.

In an instant I was there next to her, kneeling, wishing that I could somehow make her stop crying. I hated seeing her sad.

"I just...I couldn't. I couldn't think about it. I never needed to be with you...I just wanted to see you, hear your voice once in a while...and the idea of never having that again...You have no idea how scary that was, Vincent. No idea. I'm so h-happy...that you're a-alive..."

I drew her into an embrace, closing my eyes and savoring the feel of holding her once again. She cried into my shoulder while patted her head awkwardly. Her forehead was pressed against my face, and I absently kissed it, trying anything to make it all better. Anything...her tears were tearing a hole in my heart.

My absentminded gesture did not go unnoticed, and she tore away from me, looking up into my unguarded face sharply. I blinked. Had I done something wrong?

"Yuffie..." I began, slowly, and she pushed away from me and ran down the street. That was not the reaction I had been expecting, and I stumbled to my feet and gave chase.

I was entirely too intoxicated to chase after a very sober ninja, and about two blocks away I stopped, panting, and swore roundly. I'd lost her.

I reached out and leaned against one of the buildings, willing my breath to slow. Normally running wouldn't exhaust me so, but so much energy had gone into concentrating on not falling that I'd run through my energy resources rather fast. Running while drunk was not a good idea.

I muttered expletives to the world at random, and specifically Cid and Barret for forcing so many drinks on me. If only I'd been clearer-headed, I could have handled this with more finesse.

"You shouldn't run when you've had so much to drink." Yuffie's voice, thankfully tear-free this time, called out. My head shot up; she was standing down the street from me, arms crossed, an upset expression on her face. "It dehydrates you."

My eyes crossed briefly and I looked at her accusingly. "You shouldn't lead old men on a chase like that." I retorted. Yuffie snorted at "old," but she simply looked away. There was hurt in her eyes and I knew that I had somehow caused it.

"Yuffie..." I began again. I inhaled slowly and started toward her. She looked heartbroken.

"You know, I wouldn't have thought you capable of it." She said, glaring at me. "Playing on my emotions like that. It's not fair, you know."

I stopped. "Excuse me?" I asked, disbelieving.

She glared at me bitterly and turned, walking hard down the street, away from me.

A synapse fired in the right direction, for once, and it hit me; she thought that I was trying to, drunkenly, come on to her in her hour of need.

That hurt. How could she think that I would do something like that?

Oh, right. I'm cold and heartless Vincent Valentine. Showing emotion isn't exactly my forte.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, and stumbled back toward the bar. There was no way I could deal with this, not right now.

**- - - - - **

I woke up in one of the motel rooms above Tifa's bar. I couldn't remember getting there; I had stumbled to the alley near Tifa's building and after that I couldn't conceive of what I'd done or said.

Yuffie was asleep in one of the chairs near me, curled into a small, pathetic ball. I groaned and sat upward; I was still clothed, sort of – my boots, shirt and cloak had been removed. My head ached and my throat was dry.

My groan had woken her up; she regarded me sleepily and suspiciously. "There's aspirin in the bathroom." She said, keeping her voice quiet in deference to my hangover.

I stumbled to the bathroom, where I found the aspirin and swallowed it dry, wincing as it tore at my throat lining.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror while searching. I looked horrific, a real monster.

Last night came flooding back to me and my expression changed to one of someone who had been hit in the face: stunned amazement and chagrin.

"You passed out next to the bar." Yuffie's voice said. She was at the entrance to the bathroom. Her voice was still subdued. "You have no idea what I had to do to get you up to my room undetected. I figured you wouldn't want everyone else seeing you so...undignified."

"...Thanks." I said. I closed my eyes. "Yuffie, about last..."

"Don't worry about it." She said, turning abruptly and walking back to the room. "People do stupid things when they're drunk."

I frowned and followed her into the room. My head begged me not to get into an argument with her right now; it couldn't take the pressure. But I had a case to present and I was going to make it.

She was sitting on the bed, looking out the window wistfully. I sat opposite her.

"I find it hard to believe, Yuffie, that you would think me capable of such an atrocity." I said, frowning and crossing my arms. "I will be the first to admit that...I can be an...well, an asshole, sometimes." A small smirk came across her face. "But to think that I would play on your emotions just to..." I trailed off and my frown deepened. "It is not in my nature."

"Really." She turned toward me, and I could see that she was outright angry. "Well, then, Mr. Valentine, how about explaining yourself? Because there's no rational explanation for it, except that, like you said, you're a total asshole."

My frown became an outright glare, and it silenced her. I happen to know that my glare is quite ferocious; I've cultivated it purposely.

"You're right, Yuffie. There isn't a rational explanation." I sighed and turned back toward the door of the room. I know that my expression became quite distant. "There's no rational explanation for the things love makes one do."

There was a long silence, and then the sounds of crying.

Alarmed, I turned toward her; sure enough, she was crying. Maybe she thought I was lying? That would be too cruel, to lie about something like that.

I crawled toward her, ignoring my headache. "Yuffie..."

"I'm happy, I'm happy." She said, pushing me away.

"You've an odd way of showing it." I said. I must have sounded exasperated, because she looked at me and laughed.

Then she launched herself at me. She should start thinking these things through more often; the force of the impact sent us right off the bed.

We landed on the floor in a mass of limbs. Once we got it straightened out, Yuffie still had me pinned to the floor, although I was sitting up somewhat. I could easily get up; Yuffie does not weigh much. But I found that I was enjoying the position I found myself in.

She kissed me.

In all of the wonders I have seen and experienced, this was the best. I let my eyes close and simply enjoyed the kiss. It was soft and sweet; everything Yuffie herself was.

She broke off the kiss and I made a noise of protest. She giggled and I opened my eyes to gaze up at her.

She hugged me. "I love you, Vincent. I always have. I always will. I hope you don't mind."

I snaked my arm around her waist. "And I, Yuffie, love you. I have loved you for a very long time." I held her tighter, almost as if she were a lifeline. "I cannot imagine a world where you don't exist." She clenched her arms, and I knew that tears were leaking down her cheeks. "But..."

"But what?" Yuffie drew back, eyes like daggers. "Don't say you're too old for me, or that you're too cursed, or any of that bullshit. I love you, and now that I know you love me, we're going to be together, dammit."

I was taken aback. "I was just going to ask that you let me stand up. You're cutting off the circulation to my legs."

She stared at me for a second, and then burst into hysterical giggles. But she was standing up while she did it, so I didn't complain.

We ended up moving to the bed, where we, as odd as it may seem, cuddled for several hours. I couldn't get enough of holding her, of caressing her, of looking at her, and apparently she felt the same way, although the concept was odd for me to try to wrap my mind around it.

Unfortunately, we were interrupted. A few hours later, there was a knock and then the door opened. I had all but fallen asleep holding her, and I resented the intrusion.

"Hey, Yuffie, have you seen...Oh!" I opened my eyes a crack and I saw Tifa, standing there with her hand over her mouth.

"I'm right here." I said, grumpily. I knew she had been ready to ask Yuffie where I was; after yesterday's display on the bar floor, I'm surprised they didn't think to check here first.

"Oh, God. I'm sorry!" Tifa fled the room.

Yuffie started giggling again.

"What's so funny?" I demanded. "I was almost asleep again."

"I'm just imagining what she's telling everyone downstairs." She giggled. "The looks on their faces."

I sighed. There would be much to answer to. But still...

Life was good.

_Author's Notes: I realize that I took certain liberties with things. Artistic license!_

_I was just thinking one day about all of the cute Yuffie/Vincent scenes throughout the series and decided I'd catalog them from Vincent's perspective. Maybe I'll do the same, but from Yuffie's perspective! What do you think?_

_Also, I added the bit about the Festival of Flowers because, to me, it seemed obvious that Vincent and Yuffie had seen each other between Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus; he was much more friendly, and less cold, with her this time around. Do you think I'm right?_

_Read? Review!_


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